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Afghanistan: necessity, impossibility
Real estate news By ISA
Wednesday, October 17th 2007
2007-10-16 Geopolitics will make needed negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban impossible, and though the moment is ripe for negotiations and diplomacy promises to benefit both Kabul and the Taliban, this window of opportunity will most likely be squandered, says Philip Jakeman, writing for openDemocracy . Geopolitics will make needed negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban impossible
According to sources inside Afghanistan, Taliban leader ‘Mullah' Mohammed Omar sent a secret envoy to President Hamid Karzai earlier this year to discuss his possible entrance into the Afghan government. This remarkable move culminated in Karzai's recent offer of talks with the elusive cleric, followed by a Taliban announcement that the group would consider speaking with Kabul.
The moment is ripe for negotiations; diplomacy promises benefits to both Kabul and the Taliban's political leadership. Unfortunately, this window of opportunity will most likely be squandered. For talks to succeed, Mullah Omar must play a central role in discussions between the Taliban and the Karzai government. But it is his centrality to any peace deal that sets a number of key external and internal actors against talking with the Taliban, making negotiations impossible.
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